Dispatch Bush

In February, 2004, a group of more than 60 top U.S. scientists accused the Bush administration of manipulating and censoring science for political purposes. Its authors included 20 Nobel laureates, several science advisers to past Republican presidents, and the Union of Concerned Scientists.

In their report, scientists said the administration was “suppressing, distorting or manipulating the work done by scientists at federal agencies” in several cases. On the subject of global warming, the administration ordered significant changes to the section on global warming in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s 2003 Report on the Environment. The entire section was later dropped.

In this “comprehensive” report, the administration opposed mention of research demonstrating sharp increases in global temperature over the past decade. They also objected to reference of a National Academy of Sciences report on the human contribution to global warming.

The administration sought to replace the statement that “Climate change has global consequences for human health and the environment” with a statement about the “complexity of the Earth’s system and the interconnections among its components.”

Cases of distortions in other subjects include:

  • Replacing a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention fact sheet on proper condom use with a warning emphasizing condom failure rates.

  • Removing scientists from advisory boards when their political views didn’t match those of the administration.

  • Suppressing a U.S. Department of Agriculture microbiologist’s finding that potentially harmful bacteria float in the air surrounding large hog farms.

Russell Train, former EPA Administrator to Presidents Nixon and Ford, wrote in a letter to the New York Times:

“I can state categorically that there never was such White House intrusion into the business of the E.P.A. during my tenure. The E.P.A. was established as an independent agency in the executive branch, and so it should remain. There appears today to be a steady erosion in its independent status. I can appreciate the president’s interest in not having discordant voices within his Administration. But the interest of the American people lies in having full disclosure of the facts, particularly when the issue is one with such potentially enormous damage to the long-term health and economic well-being of all of us.”

Read More Reasons to Dispatch Bush

Vague Memories

I dreamt about my nanny the night before last. I think.

I can’t remember clearly. I just had flash while sitting here chatting online. I remember dark skys, nighttime. And bright clear lights in the sky, full moon maybe. And airplanes (or ufo’s as is most often the case). I have a vague image of her backyard at night, and her inside in the warm light, saying something…

I absolutely despise those dreams that come and go, like memories, tricking you into questioning if they are real or not.

I have a feeling I’ll dream of her again tonight.

More Dreamscapes

So i had another odd dream. This time there wasn’t a single alien or UFO in sight, but i did get to fly. It was the most realistic dream i think I’ve ever had, and i’m remembering this from a few days ago, i can only imagine all the parts that have since faded away.

There was no real point it seems, i was out at my parents house in Princeton, visiting for the weekend as i usually do. I was outside on a sunny, gorgeous day. I don’t know what brought it about but i somehow found myself jumping and almost hanging in the air, like the law of gravity had suddenly been turned off. I sat there, floating in midair, slowly sliding back down to the ground. I TRULY believed i was awake and really doing this, it was so realistic.

I wonder why even in the midst of a seemingly realistic dream, we don’t stop to think about what’s happening suppose that is what constitutes a lucid dream, the ability to realize you’re dreaming and control it at will.

I seem to get stuck in the small details.

So there i was, for a good 30 minutes; jumping, floating, and trying desperately to control my newfound gift. I remember being in awe, like a small child would be of an airplane, more worried about the how than the why.

I musta’ got up at least 100 feet after playing around for a while, i remember at one point i saw a car coming down the road, and it was like i lost all my concentration and slid rather quickly back down to the ground.

It went on for some time, although i can’t quite remember how long, i have a very vivid memory of flying through double-door. Old western saloon style in that there were two of them. It was like i was floating just a few inches above the ground and someone pushed me into them. It’s So hard to remember these things.

I woke up feeling heavy, and somewhat disappointed to realize I had been dreaming. I’ sure it has something to do with my shoulder problems, but it still fascinates me.

I must start blogging these things when they are fresh in my mind. And i must blog more, it’s good for my sanity.

July 7th – Good Advice

A fellow clavicle sufferer gave me some words of wisdom recently,

he said: “When you feel good, you are cocky like it is going to be o.k. When it feels bad, you sound desperate and un-informed.”

And he’s right. Today i feel desperate and uninformed. I feel hopeless, and i don’t think i will ever be rid of this pain, or able to do the things i once did.

Very rarely do i get emotional, and one thing chronic pain will do, is MAKE you emotional. There are days that you feel energetic like you can handle anything, you can make it through another day; and those days are encouraging.

And there are days like today, when the pain is so great and so concentrated that it makes you want to give up. It makes you want to give in and self medicate. To feel NOTHING as opposed to always being in pain.

I bough groceries today, an everyday task for most people, a daunting thing for me today. It hurt so bad i couldn’t lift a gallon of milk without my shoulder feeling like it was exploding. I have these sharp pains that ripple down my bicep in certain positions. They only last a second but they literally stop me in my tracks. It’s hard to drive, I can’t really rest my shoulder anywhere, it feels like my shouldeblade is poking into the seat, and it hurts something fierce. Thankfully I don’t have to drive far to work.

The numbness is still gone but my hand is tingling again. And my forearm too. My forearm has never tingles like this before today. I bet anything swimming really aggravated something in there. I’ve also noticed my good shoulder is starting to hurt at night sometimes, and often when I wake up it will be sore. I’m not too sure if it’s from overuse, or maybe It’s from sleeping the same way every night, but there are only so many positions that I can sleep in as well.

I don’t mean to complain per say, or to sound bitchy, but I needed to get it off my chest. It feels good to vent, and this is the only way I can do it constructively. Plus it gives me a reference to look back on later. At least the meds are kicking in finally…

And the moral of the story is : everything is relative, and there is always tomorrow.